Ins and outs... all the rugby deals already sealed... and a few in pipeline
WE may have a little over two months of the season still to play, but it’s already been a busy time in the transfer market for the 2018-19 season with more comings and goings than Heathrow Airport.
Some high profile moves have already been rubber-stamped. This week we’ve seen the Scarlets recruit Springboks No.8 Uzair Cassiem from the Cheetahs while their former scrum-half Sarel Pretorious is heading back to South Africa, with the Dragons No.9 joining the Southern Kings.
Here is the definitive list of Welsh rugby’s comings and goings so far... plus a few others an agenda...
Rhys Webb (Ospreys to Toulon)
The move that shook Welsh rugby to its core. Not so much that the Wales and Lions scrum-half wanted a change of scenery in France but before the ink could dry on his Toulon contract came the news Webb will no longer be available for Wales once his heads across the Channel under the new 60-cap WRU selection.
He also didn’t have the chance to say bon voyage to Wales and the Ospreys as this week news broke the 29-year-old has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after knee surgery.
Dan Biggar (Ospreys to Northampton Saints)
Biggar announced in September that he was moving to the east Midlands, ending a decade of senior rugby at the Liberty. The length of Biggar’s deal hasn’t been disclosed, but, unlike Webb, his international future is safe having won his 60th cap in the autumn.
Scott Williams (Scarlets to Ospreys)
One of the more surprising transfer announcements of the season sees Williams, an integral member of the recent Scarlets’ success story, opting to join arch rivals Ospreys on a three-year deal.
Aled Davies (Scarlets to Ospreys)
Another crossing the Loughor divide. The Wales scrum-half is hoping to establish himself as first choice at the Liberty after spending recent times in the shadow of Gareth Davies in Llanelli.
Tadhg Beirne (Scarlets to Munster)
The former Leinster forward — regional rugby’s signing of the season for 2016-17 — is returning to Ireland to pursue his international ambitions at Munster. And what a time to be heading back over the Irish Sea with Joe Schmidt’s Test team the 2018 Six Nations Grand Slam winners.
John Barclay (Scarlets to Edinburgh)
The Scotland skipper brings to an end a five-year spell in West Wales when he returns north of the border.
Kieron Fonotia (Ospreys to Scarlets)
With Scott Williams heading one way, Fonotia heads the other to reunite with his former Crusaders team-mate Johnny McNicholl at Parc y Scarlets.
Richard Hibbard (Gloucester to Dragons)
The Wales and British and Irish Lions hooker has become the latest high-profile acquisition at Rodney Parade.
The former Osprey, who won the last of his 38 caps in 2015, has signed a three-year deal.
Ross Moriarty (Gloucester to Dragons)
The capture of the Wales and Lions back-rower is a major coup for the ambitious Dragons regime.
Has signed a two-year deal with the Men of Gwent, ensuring he is not excluded by the WRU’s new selection guidelines.
Rhodri Williams (Bristol to Dragons)
The former Scarlets scrum-half has played a starring role for Bristol in the English second-tier Championship this season and is heading back to Wales to reignite his international ambitions.
Has been a key figure in Bristol’s charge Aviva Premiership promotion charge this season.
Jordan Williams (Bristol to Dragons)
Follows his former Parc y Scarlets team-mate from the West Country to Newport on a two-year deal.
A devastating attacking talent, found himself on the fringes in Llanelli because of defensive issues. Has been playing full-back at the Greene King IPA Championship leaders this season.
Rhodri Davies (Rotherham to Dragons)
The former Llandovery scrum-half will make a swift return to Welsh rugby after a season with the Titans in the Championship.
Danny Wilson (Cardiff Blues to Wasps)
Wilson announced in September that he was standing down as the Blues’ head coach at the end of the 2017-18 campaign and it has since been revealed he will be linking up with Dai Young as forwards coach at Aviva Premiership side Wasps.
Ryan Bevington (Bristol to Dragons)
Last month the Rodney Parade region announced another capture from Bristol with the 29-year-old loosehead moving back across the Severn in the summer on a two-year contract. Bevington, capped 13 times and a member of the 2011 World Cup squad, made over 100 appearances for Ospreys before moving to the Ashton Gate outfit.
Josh Lewis (Bath to Dragons)
The Aviva Premiership club signed the 25-year-old from Ebbw Vale in 2017, but he will return to Wales under Dragons boss Bernard Jackman. Lewis previously played for Scarlets between 2013 and 2016 before returning to Ebbw Vale. Has had some first team games under his belt at The Rec through Rhys Priestland and Freddie Burns spending time on the sidelines with injuries.
Lesley Klim (Doncaster Knights to Ospreys)
The Namibian international centre has agreed a two-year deal with the Swansea-based region. The 23-year-old 6ft 2ins midfielder has been capped seven times.
Blade Thomson (Hurricanes to Scarlets)
The 27-year-old back-rower has won four caps for the Maori All Blacks and is a former New Zealand Under-20s international. He made a return to the Hurricanes squad last month having missed last season with a shoulder injury.
Uzair Cassiem (Cheetahs to Scarlets)
The arrival of Cassiem from PRO14 rivals the Cheetahs in the summer will be a welcome addition to the Scarlets pack.
The 28-year-old, who has featured on eight occasions for the Springboks, started his playing career with the Golden Lions in 2011.
Huw Taylor (Worcester Warriors to Dragons)
The former England Under-20s World Championship-winning back-rower will arrive on a two-year deal from Worcester.
Taylor can also play at second row and is Welsh-qualified through a grandparent.
The 21-year-old played in the England side that defeated Ireland in the world junior final in June 2016.
Ashley Beck (Ospreys to Worcester Warriors)
Another out of the blue departure from the Welsh game when last month it was announced Beck will become the fourth high-profile back to leave the Liberty Stadium this summer. Beck, 27, made his Test bow against Australia, in Brisbane, in the summer of 2012 with the last of his seven caps coming in the 2013 autumn international series clash with Tonga.
Jamie Roberts (Harlequins to Bath)
The Wales and Lions centre is out of contract at the Quins, who he has been with since 2015. There had been talk of a possible move to Japan, while a return to Cardiff Blues has also been mooted at various times. But he will be staying in the Aviva Premiership and heading to The Rec, which means he will remain available for Wales selection.
Sarel Pretorious (Dragons to Southern Kings)
The scrum-half will head back to South Africa at the end of his third season at Rodney Parade to stay in the Guinness PRO14 with the side from Port Elizabeth.
The 33-year-old signed from the Cheetahs in 2015 making 70 appearances and scoring 14 tries.
Matt Sherratt (Blues to Ospreys)
Sherratt has signed a three-year deal to become Ospreys backs coach from the 2018-19 season. He will replace Gruff Rees, who is leaving after a 13-year stint at the Swansea-based region. Sherratt turned down two-year contract extension at the Arms Park in August, 2017, having joined from Bristol the previous summer.
John Mulvihill (Honda Heat to Cardiff Blues)
Cardiff Blues will have their eighth coach in seven years after Mulvihill was unveiled as Danny Wilson’s successor on Tuesday this week.
The 52-year-old backs coach at Honda Heat, was released from his contract in Japan where he was assisting former New Zealand scrum-half Danny Lee, who had a short stint as a player at the Dragons.
Mulvihill assisted Alan Jones, who coached the brilliant Australia team of the 1980s, and ex-England backs coach Brian Smith with the Barbarians during their 31-28 defeat to the Wallabies in Sydney last October.
He is a protege of Jones and another of Australia’s leading rugby minds in Alex Evans, who guided Cardiff RFC to a Welsh League title and was Wales’ caretaker coach at the 1995 World Cup in South Africa.
Gruff Rees (leaving Ospreys)
The Ospreys backs coach is leaving the Liberty Stadium region after 13 years at the region. Has been linked with the Blues, although uncertainty surrounds their coaching set-up for next season with the appointment of John Mulvihill as their head honcho.
And those whose futures could be decided soon...
George North
The Wales and Lions wing has been disciplined by Northampton on Tuesday but the club stress he is available for the five remaining matches this season, starting this weekend against Newcastle Falcons. North missed Northampton’s 34-25 home defeat against Sale earlier this month and was called out by stand-in boss Alan Gaffney afterwards - the Australian suggested he did not want to play. North is returning home in the summer and Wales coach Warren Gatland had offered him an early escape from his Northampton deal, saying the WRU would ‘look after him’ if North decided to leave early from his Saints contract.
The battle for his signature back in Wales is hotting up, with the Blues, Ospreys and Dragons interested though the Scarlets will get first refusal though, as they are his region of origin.
Alex Cuthbert
The 47-cap international winger won’t be signing a new contract with the Arms Park outfit, who he has been with since 2011.
It remains to be seen where he will be playing his rugby from next season.
It is understood the three other regions have been made aware of his availability, but it could be his future lies away from Wales, either in England or France.
Bristol, who are set to make a swift return to the Aviva Premiership next season, are rumoured to be interested in the 27-year-old.
Dmitri Arhip
It is understood that Montpellier have offered the Moldovan strongman a lucrative deal to move to France and if the £500,000-a-year figure being bandied about is true, the Ospreys will be hard pushed to keep their scrummaging cornerstone in Swansea.
Jason Tovey
Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill wants ‘to remodel the playing roster’ meaning the former Dragons and Cardiff Blues back has been made surplus to requirements in the Scottish capital.
Tovey joined Edinburgh, initially on loan in March 2016, before signing a permanent two-year deal that summer.
Josh Adams
Last month it was reported the Dragons were in advanced talks with Worcester as they step up their quest to sign the Welsh international ahead of next season.
Adams’ current contract with the Aviva Premiership side runs until the conclusion of next season but the Welsh region are working to add the speedster to their lengthy recruitment drive. It’s likely that the Sixways outfit would command some sort of fee to release Adams from his contract a year early, though personal terms are not expected to be a stumbling block.
Owen Williams
Wales’ ‘forgotten man’ Owen Williams is being lined up for a return to Welsh rugby by the Dragons after being frozen out at Gloucester. The outside-half or centre has rarely been seen for club or country despite impressing for Wales at No.12 against Australia and New Zealand last autumn. It’s understood Gloucester coach Johan Ackermann, the former Springbok lock, is considering bringing a South Africa outside-half to Kingsholm.
The west country club signed Williams from Leicester Tigers before Ackermann was appointed.
Taulupe Faletau
The No.8 still has a season to run on his Bath contract, but there has been speculation the Dragons are contemplating a bid to buy the Rodney Parade favourite out of his contract.
The battle for his signature is hotting up, with Blues, Ospreys and Dragons interested... What’s on the agenda for George North